


525,600 Minutes

by 0bviousLeigh



Series: Children of War [9]
Category: Yu-Gi-Oh! ARC-V
Genre: Friendship, Gen, SKIP OFF INTO THE SUNSET MY HAPPY CHILDREN
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-09-05
Updated: 2016-09-05
Packaged: 2018-08-13 05:04:50
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,244
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7963534
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/0bviousLeigh/pseuds/0bviousLeigh
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>How does one measure a year?</p>
            </blockquote>





	525,600 Minutes

Today’s the day, Ruri thinks when her alarm wakes her up. It’s a Tuesday, school is starting in two hours, and she has a paper about Lady Murakami to turn in. And it’s been one year since Leo Akaba was defeated and the war ended.

Shuzo said they could stay home if they wanted to. Ruri considered taking him up on the offer but, well, she doesn’t want to be the only one who stays home. So she rolls out of bed, puts on her uniform, and goes down to the kitchen. Shun is drinking coffee and staring at the newspaper. It has a full-color picture on the front page, of the Lancers when Reiji Akaba gathered them in front of the LDS Tower and announced the end of the war.

Ruri wonders if the article inside will talk about the fact that her brother was sixteen and had lost his sister and best friend. If it will mention that Yuzu was missing, and her friends and family didn’t get to say goodbye before she disappeared for months. She wonders if anyone has given thought to the children in the Fusion dimension, or the continued effort to rebuild the XYZ dimension, or the continued tension between the Tops and Commons in the Synchro dimension.

Oh sure, things have changed. In the Fusion dimension, proper schools have been established, and so many therapists and doctors have moved to the dimension that every student at Academia has been getting treatment. Heartland’s hospitals and schools are operational, Ruri, Shun, and Yuto got to go to the Spade branch last week and see it, though they all elected to return to Standard after the tour. Neo Domino is no longer sequestered from the rest of the Synchro dimension, and many of the residents of the Commons have moved to other places, and the ridiculous wealth of the Tops citizens has been sized and redistributed. Still, it takes longer than a year to rebuild.

Rin and Yuzu come downstairs and join Shun and Ruri for breakfast.

“Shingo texted me,” Yuzu says, “The press are camped out a block away from school, and more are coming.”

Rin’s hands shake as she reaches for her coffee cup. Ruri looks down at her own hands, also shaking.

“We don’t have to say anything,” Shun says quietly.

As far as Ruri knows, the press have not been told much about their private lives. No one knows that they’re all still in therapy, that sometimes Ruri looks around herself and wonders how this is real, that she gets lost in her own head and has to be talked back to the real world. Depersonalization, Dr. Aki calls it, a side effect of being locked away for months with no one to talk to. And no one knows that only a few months ago, Yuri got hauled off to the hospital because he nearly stabbed himself with a knife.

Well, Ruri’s still not sure if he ever actually got his hands on the knife, she can’t ask Yuri that and she never will. But it shocked her, when she heard about it. Ruri had spent so long fighting to live, to get back to the life she used to have, her people had fought to live, and Yuri…Yuri felt like he couldn’t live with himself. Or at least, he couldn’t live with the memory of Leo Akaba hanging over him. Ruri can’t imagine what it’s like to want to die. She hopes she never knows.

“Ruri?” Shun calls.

She jumps—she’s sitting on the sofa, with no memory of how she got there. She’s done it again, gotten lost in her own head, disconnected from everything. She has five minutes to get ready. She’s wasted half an hour and she hasn’t the slightest idea of what she’s done.

“Fuck my life,” Ruri hisses.

Shun holds up her book bag. “I got it together, your paper is in there and so is your lunch. Your shoes are by the door, all you have to do is put them on and walk out with me.”

Ruri takes her bag, drops it and throws her arms around Shun’s shoulders. “What would I do without you?”

“Be late to school?” Shun offers. But he hugs her more tightly than he usually does.

Ruri presses her forehead to Shun’s neck and sighs, “Will we ever be able to face this day and not think of horrible things?”

“I hope so,” Shun says. “Dr. Aki would say that we have a lot to be proud of.”

That is true, Ruri thinks. They function on a somewhat regular level, their grades are okay, and Ruri can sleep through the night more often than she used to. Shun and Yuto are dating, they went to a movie last week and took pictures in a photo-booth. Ruri’s seen the pictures, and how happy her brother and best friend looked in them. Serena’s ear is healing, it’s been four months since she last made herself bleed, and even then it wasn’t terrible since her nails were short. Yuri has Stitch, his therapy dog, and he goes to coffee shops and talks to people. Yugo and Rin are openly flirting, and when they’re not batting their eyes at each other they’re putting parts together for a new motorcycle. Reiji says that in a few months he’s going to bring back the Maiami Championship, this time without the need for forming an army, and Yuzu and Yuya have both begun their trial duels for the entry.

Ruri picks up her bag and puts it over her shoulder. “Guess I’m ready to go.”

“Good luck,” a sleepy voice mumbles.

Ruri turns around. “Serena! What are you doing up?”

Serena rubs her eyes and blinks in the light of the rising sun. She usually sleeps much later, since she can complete her online lessons anytime.

“I know what day it is,” Serena says. “Yuzu’s alarm woke me up, it just took me this long to convince myself to get out of bed.” She steps forward and hugs Ruri. “You can always be a couch potato with me. But I know you’re going to try to brave it, so good luck.”

Ruri grins and ruffles Serena’s hair. “Thanks, kiddo.”

Through her mussed bangs, Serena rolls her eyes. “I’m only like 2 months younger than you.” She turns to Shun. “If anyone says anything about me, sucker punch ‘em.”

“Will do, Sailor Moon,” Shun says, giving Serena a hug.

“I’m still not calling you Tuxedo Mask,” Serena says even as she returns the hug.

Shuzo rattles his car keys and calls from the living room, “Everyone who wants a ride, let’s go.”

Yuzu and Rin dash down the stairs, Rin with a hairbrush in her hands and Yuzu with her uniform blazer unbuttoned. They could wake up at 3 AM and still not be ready to leave in time.

“You coming?” Yuzu asks Serena.

Serena hesitates, she’s still in her pajamas, but she shrugs. “Yeah, I’ll take a ride with you guys.”

Yuzu kicks Shun into the passenger seat of the van so Serena can sit in the back with the rest of the girls. They make quite an odd picture, three girls in dark blue blazers and plaid skirts, hair brushed to perfection, and Serena between them in Yuzu’s pink, heart patterned, button-down pajama shirt and matching pants. The four of them make Shun take a picture of them from the front seat, and they crowd together and take turns using their own phones to take pictures.

They drive to the Sakaki household and pick up Sora, Yuto, Yugo and Yuya, and get a surprise when Yuri shoves his way into the van ahead of them.

“What the heck are you doing here?” Serena asks.

“Probably the same thing as you,” Yuri says. He’s wearing jeans and a sweater, and Stitch is cradled in his arms. He smirks at Serena. “Nice pajamas.”

Serena leans over, takes Stitch out of Yuri’s arms and hands him to Yuzu, then puts Yuri in a headlock. “Shut your trap!” She screeches in his ear.

Yuto sits in the front of the van with Shun, and Yugo, Yuya, and Sora sit in the middle with Yuri. Sora’s middle school is only a few blocks from the high school, and Shuzo usually drops him off after he goes to the high school.

The car ride is silent, and everyone is tense. Yuri takes Stitch back from Yuzu and hugs him to his chest, staring out the window. They’re still half a mile from the high school when Shuzo pulls the van over, cursing.

“They’re camped out.”

Ruri cranes her neck and sees the news vans a few blocks away. Her heart pounds in her chest.

“Why can’t they leave us alone?” Yugo asks.

“We’re news,” Rin answers. “They want to see how we’re doing, one year later.”

“I ought to call the cops,” Shuzo says. “You kids are minors. This can’t be legal.”

He calls Reiji instead, who says that the streets are public property and there’s not much they can do.

“Oh, I know!” Serena yells, “They can’t print the pictures if they’re indecent, so if cameras go off, flip ‘em the bird! Or I could just walk out with you guys and flash them.” She mimes ripping her shirt open. “Bam, hit ‘em with the ladies!”

Yuzu bursts into loud, uncontrolled laughter, and Ruri and Rin join her. They can picture her doing it. It’s such a Serena thing to say, to _do_. Serena who got expelled three times, who takes no shit, who goes to coffee shops with a snake around her wrist. Serena, who would go to the ends of the Earth for her friends, who would really go out there naked with her middle fingers up if she thought it would keep her friends safe. Serena, who is sitting in the back of a car in her pajamas, who didn’t even put shoes on, but is here for her friends.

The laughter finally dies down and Yuri says, “Well I’d love to say that I’d join Serena on that, but I’m afraid I’m quite lacking with the ladies.”

The laughter begins again, and this time they all join in, and it’s a solid five minutes before they stop. They’re gasping, hiccupping, crying with laughter. And when they calm down, there’s still a line of news vans waiting, but somehow it doesn’t seem as scary now.

“Alright, kids,” Shuzo says, wiping his eyes. “I don’t condone flashing, but aside from that I’ll support whatever you want to do. Do you want to go on into school, or turn around and go home?”

“I say we go on,” Yuya says.

Ruri speaks up, “So do I.”

One by one, they all decide to go on ahead.

“I’ll walk with you guys if you want me to,” Yuri says.

“I will too,” Serena says, “And I’ll keep my shirt on,” she adds when Shuzo gives her a desperate look. It sends another round of giggles through the car.

“But you’re not wearing shoes,” Yuzu says, “And you’re in your pajamas.”

“Aw, whatever,” Serena says, waving her hand. “Who do I need to impress?”

Sora digs through his bag and hands Serena a battered pair of tennis shoes. “They’re my gym shoes,” he says sheepishly, “But it’s better than going barefoot. I don’t want you to step on something.”

“Don’t you need them though?” Serena asks.

Sora shakes his head. “I don’t actually have gym today, I’ll get them tonight.”

Serena leans over the back of the bench and gives Sora a hug. “You little liar,” she says. “But thank you.”

Shun takes off his blazer and gives it to Serena to wear over her pajamas, since he doesn’t actually need to wear it to be considered in uniform. They all pile out of the car, Shuzo too, and begin to walk to the school.

Ruri, Rin, Yuzu, and Serena lead the way. They walk hand-in-hand, looking every inch like best-friends-turned-soul-sisters. Shun joins them, slinging his arm over Ruri’s shoulders, and Yuto grabs Shun’s hand and walks with him.

Ruri turns to look at the other boys. Yuri has Stitch in one arm, and his other arm over Sora’s shoulders. “When did you get so tall?” Yuri asks. The top of Sora’s head used to only come to his shoulders, now it’s at his eye-level.

“When you weren’t looking,” Sora answers.

“Fair enough,” Yuri says. “Guess I’ll have to see you more often then, huh?”

“I’d like it if you did,” Sora says. “Maybe you can help me with my science homework. Yuya’s a terrible teacher, Yuto sucks as bad as I do, and Yugo makes everything complicated.”

“I heard that,” Yugo says, coming to stand on Sora’s other side. He also puts his arm over Sora’s shoulders, right on top of Yuri’s arm. They stand like guards, ready to protect the youngest member of their family.

Yuya walks on Yuri’s other side, his fingers curled around Yuri’s elbow, careful not to interfere with his grip on Stitch. “I’m glad you’re here,” Yuya says, his eyes on Yuri, and Ruri can see the way Yuri blushes at those words.

Ruri turns around again, hiding her smile. Truly, a lot has changed over the last year. And with this group of people by her side, the upcoming year is sure to be an interesting one.

**Author's Note:**

> Measure in seasons of love~
> 
>  
> 
> You know I probably could have ended the series here if I was mean. BUT we still need lesbians so that's next up.


End file.
